TWD: The Andrea Scene That Was Shot In Reverse, According To James Allen McCune
"The Walking Dead" star James Allen McCune first appeared as Beth's (Emily Kinney) boyfriend, Jimmy, in Season 2, Episode 2, "Bloodletting." But by the season finale, "Beside the Dying Fire," the survivor succumbed to a violent zombie attack. Now, it's true the actor may have only been around for one season, along with a brief cameo in Season 9, Episode 15's "What Comes After." However, his character was granted a very cool death sequence saving Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) from the clutches of dozens of flesh-eating walkers. But even that didn't seem to compare to what Andrea Harrison (Laurie Holden) could do when she wielded her pitchfork in McCune's eyes.
"One of the coolest things I've seen done in post though is when Laurie (Andrea) swings a pitchfork type thing into a zombie's face in the next episode," McCune wrote on Reddit in 2012. "That was actually shot in reverse when she swung it. You can't tell at all." Andrea used a variety of weapons in the AMC series, but it was the way her bloody pitchfork was enhanced during post-production that left McCune in awe while working on "The Walking Dead."
Andrea knew how to use a pitchfork
Actor James Allen McCune's brief time as Jimmy on "The Walking Dead" came to a tragic end after only 10 episodes in Season 2. The character was torn apart, primarily off-screen, by several walkers. Outside of the RV that Jimmy was trapped in, Rick and Carl witnessed Jimmy's blood splash against the windshield, as they stopped before running from the gathering zombies.
The ichor was just another horrifying drop in the bucket courtesy of the special effects department of "The Walking Dead." And that kind of movie magic, which included filming one of Andrea's (Holden) pitchfork-killing zombie scenes in reverse, really left an impression on McCune. "Well, the thing about our show is that we pretty much never make stuff up," McCune posted on Reddit in 2012.
"We went practical special effects more than the fancy digital stuff. That's why we have Greg Nicotero," McCune continued. "The make-up you see is all actually there. Sure, there are some enhancements in post, but too much would take away from how real his work is." McCune wasn't the only one impressed with Andrea's badass pitchfork skills. A year after Jimmy's final appearance, McFarlane produced a "TWD" action figure of Andrea in 2013, which included a pistol, sniper rifle, and — wait for it — her trusty pitchfork.